Monday, September 27, 2010

The Baker Institute analysis found that a mandate calling for 30 percent of all U.S. vehicles to run on electric power by 2050 would be 'the single most effective way' to reduce oil demand and reliance on foreign imports.

A 30-percent electric fleet would reduce U.S. oil use by 2.5 million barrels a day above the projected reduction from increased fuel efficiency standards."

Oil is toxic, in ways you can't imagine until they blow up in your face.

Oil can also be an astonishing transformer. It lifts people out of poverty. It rewired our country on a circuit of Interstates. It enabled modern America.

Is it worth the recurring threat of another BP spill, to keep the world's cars running on oil alone? These days, I'm no longer convinced that one easy solution is the best one. Hurricanes can't be prevented, but some ecological disasters can.

I'm choosing an electric car as my next new vehicle, not to prove a point, but to see if it's a rational future. A better choice for some, maybe for most. Not for all."

Special Report: Power struggles: charging tomorrow's cars | Reuters: "'The introduction of electric vehicles is more than a financial matter,' says U.S. analyst Sam Jaffe, research manager at IDC Energy Insights. 'It's a big anthropological experiment. There's no question that there are drawbacks, but there are also advantages. It requires a re-setting of mindsets and how that unfolds will decide who wins the race.'"

Monday, September 6, 2010

Contribution of Li-Ion Batteries to the Environmental Impact of Electric Vehicles - Environmental Science & Technology (ACS Publications): "Battery-powered electric cars (BEVs) play a key role in future mobility scenarios. However, little is known about the environmental impacts of the production, use and disposal of the lithium ion (Li-ion) battery. This makes it difficult to compare the environmental impacts of BEVs with those of internal combustion engine cars (ICEVs). Consequently, a detailed lifecycle inventory of a Li-ion battery and a rough LCA of BEV based mobility were compiled. The study shows that the environmental burdens of mobility are dominated by the operation phase regardless of whether a gasoline-fueled ICEV or a European electricity fueled BEV is used. The share of the total environmental impact of E-mobility caused by the battery (measured in Ecoindicator 99 points) is 15%."

Sunday, September 5, 2010

As America Grows Fatter, It Burns More Gas | Autopia | Wired.com: "There is no doubt Americans are getting fatter and fatter. The latest stats from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show the number of people identifying themselves as obese grew 1.1 percent — an additional 2.4 million people — between 2007 and 2009. The number of states with an obesity rate of 30 percent or more tripled, to nine, during the same time."

My Chevrolet Volt Order Has Been Placed: "Steve is very excited about the Volt. “How could I not be,” he said. “This car will bring in a ton of new showroom traffic.” He is committed to servicing the cars and currently has five Volts on allocation (four besides mine). He has no intentions of charging more than MSRP. “I will not price gouge,” he said."